


Meeting Da

by Judybrandtner



Category: Outlander (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-03-17 23:45:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13669815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judybrandtner/pseuds/Judybrandtner
Summary: 17 years ago- Jamie and Claire were a couple of teenagers at a Scottish boarding school madly in love when Claire's parents die and she has to move to London with her uncle. They promise to keep contact, but they never did.Today-16 years-old Brianna Beauchamp travels to Glasgow to meet the father she never knew





	1. Chapter 1

The bus turned the corner before the stop, Brianna put her phone on her pocket's jacket and prepared herself to step of the bus. She was still a bit incredulous of how close she was to her target, meet the father she hadn't even heard about on her 16 years. She had always been curious about him growing up, but for some reason, her mother had never even speak to her about him. She wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the dumbest of lucks.

It all had started when the daughter of one of Uncle Lamb's old colleagues had put in contact with Brianna and her mother about some investigation papers they have done years ago and she was looking now to complete a volume collection for his retirement party. That's why she went looking throughout Uncle Lamb's old stuff and how she ended up finding her mother's old boxes from her time at a Scottish boarding school, were photos of her and a tall red headed boy featured more than prominently, and the most important thing of all, her own birth certificate, with a name on it.

Father's name: James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser

The rest had been researching and planning. Browsing social media for a James Fraser who fitted in age, physic and background with the only things she knew about him (who was going to tell her James Fraser was such a common name in Scotland) until she found him on the Facebook page of his pub on Glasgow and then think on a good way to make contact with him. It was then when her mother had told her that she was required to attend a medical convention in Berlin for a week, when she saw her opportunity. She booked a train ticket to Glasgow, a bed at a backpackers hostel and left home just hours after her mother left for Berlin.

An now there she was, at the door of his father's pub. She gave it a second for calm her nerves and went in. The pub was on that busyness of the lunch hour, wit people talking loudly and moving around, Brianna couldn't see James Fraser around working, so she went to the bar to ask.

'Hello.' Brianna asked the barman.

'Bonsoir Milady.' a French accent answered her, 'je suis desolee, but I need to see your ID before I can serve you anything.'

'I...I don''t want anything, thank you.' She said to him, 'I'm looking for Mr. James Fraser.'

'He's not here right now, he's on the evening shift.' The French barman answered her, 'He's at his flat, upstairs. If it's urgent, I can take you to the door and open it for you.'

'I would like that, yes.'

'Rabbie, I'm going for deux minutes, keep an eye on the bar!' The barman shouted to someone in the back

'OK, mate!' a voice answered back.

He took her to the side of the building, where the access to the upstairs flats were and opened the door to let her pass.

'His flat is in the first floor, just knock the door.' The barman told her 'J'ai to come back. Au revoir.' he added with a wink.

'Thank you.'

Brianna climbed the two sets stairs, her heart beating faster at every step, she couldn't believe how close she actually was to meet her father. She knocked the door and soon enough, footsteps sounded closer and closer to the door.

'Oh, God!' She said to herself.

'Hello, how are ye?' It wasn't James Fraser who opened the door, but a small boy of four, maybe five, with brown hair and her very same blue eyes, 'I'm Willie, and ye?

'I'm Brianna,' She answered the boy when she recovered her breath, 'I'm looking for James Fraser.'

'He's my Da, let me go for him.' Willie said, before ran into the flat on his search,

'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!' Brianna talked with herself again. He was married, or in a relationship. Tell her father who she was, was one thing, but tell him in front of his wife, and his son (Her brother, she had a brother!) was another. A rush of panic run through her, maybe it was better is she went back to the hostel and then back to London. But then...

'Hello, Willie says ye're looking for me.' So, there finally were, James Fraser on person, even taller she had imagined.

'He...hello, James Fraser?'


	2. Chapter 2

Jamie was helping (read doing it on his own) to clean up Willie's toys before lunch when the sound of the doorbell called his attention.

'Murtagh must have forgotten his keys.' He said to Willie, 'go and open him.'

'Da, there's a lass on the door asking for ye.' Willie told him on the way back.

'I'll go and see. Go and wash yer hands before Murtagh comes for lunch.'

As Willie had told him, a young lass, slightly nervous and strangely familiar, was waiting outside the flat's door.

'Hello, Willie says ye're looking for me.' Jamie said to her

'He...hello, James Fraser?' She asked to him

'Aye, the very same.'

'The James Fraser who went to the St. Anne's Boarding School?'

'Aye, 'tis me. Are ye a student there? They're always sending me news when they do their charity events.'

'No, I'm not a student there.' Said the lass, ravaging around her bag, 'My name is Brianna, I think you met my mother while studying there, Claire Beauchamp.'

His heart skipped a bit. Claire Beauchamp, he had done way more than just meet at school, he had loved her with all his heart, and still thought sometimes in what it could have been if she wouldn't have had to go all those years ago.

'Claire is yer mam? How is she? I hadna seen her in...'

'Seventeen years.' The lass told him, and then something clicked on his head, wasn't she too old for be Claire's daughter?, unless...and damned if she didn't just look like his own...

'How old are ye lass?'

'Sixteen, seventeen in November.' She said giving him a piece of paper 'I've always wondered where my red hair came from.'

Jamie looked down to the paper she gave to him, her birth certificate.

Name: Brianna Ellen Beauchamp

Mother's Name: Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp

Father's Name: James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser

Jamie gripped himself to the door frame, feeling his legs going weak

'Yer my daughter?' He asked

'Yes, I think I am.' Brianna answered him


	3. Chapter 3

'Are you OK?' Brianna asked

'Oh, aye, I'm OK' Jamie said, 'Ye've been quite the shock, ye ken.'

'Sorry, I can imagine.'

'Dinna fash yerself, Brianna.' She like the way he pronounced her name

'You can call me Bree, what does the other thing mean? Dinna...

'Aye, ye're English, it means dinna worry.' Said Jamie, suddenly noticing they were still talking at the door, 'come in Bree, this isna the place for talking.'

'So, Mama never told you about me?' Brianna asked while they walked towards the sitting room, a dash of worry at see the kitchen table prepared for three people.

'No, she didna, 'tis one of the things I'm surprised the most, it dinna look like she would do that.'

'Well, maybe... I'm pretty sure, it's you, I mean, you're my father, but not 100%. Maybe that's why she never told you. Maybe you'll want a DNA test.' Said Brianna, suddenly doubtful

'I dinna need a test for ken ye're my kin, ye're the spit of my own mam.' Jamie reasoned to her. 'And ye're also named after my parents, Brian and Ellen, that's the other thing I'm so surprised yer mam never told me about ye. Why name ye like that but never tell me.'

'Am I?' Brianna asked, feeling all nervous and worries abandon her. 

'Sit down and wait a second.' Said Jamie, going to his room for something. 'Here ye have.' He came with an old photo album, opened showing a photo of him as a child with his parents and siblings. 'That's my Mam, my Da, me, my brother Willie and my sister Jenny.

'How are they? Are they living around?' Asked Brianna

'Well, no. My mam and my brother died just months after that photo was taken, a car crash. I was on the car too, I still have scars from it. Yer grand sire died while I was at Uni. Ye have yer aunt Jenny, she lives at Lallybroch, our family estate on the Highlands, with yer uncle, Ian and yer cousins, three of them and two more on their way. Oh, God, Jenny. She'll have kittens when she sees ye.'

'I'm sorry, I got a bit excited at the idea of have grandparents. It was always just me, Mama and Uncle Lamb, until he died few years ago.' Brianna tried to find a way to move out the conversation, she found it on the photo, the family was posing in front of the poster from an art exhibition with the name Ellen Fraser featured on it. 'Was she an artist? Your mother?.'

'Aye, a verra talented one, no one famous, but she earned a good keepin' makin' pictures and frescoes.' Said Jamie, smiling again. 'Yer aunt and me sometimes complain we didna inherited her gift.'

'I think I did.' Bree said, giving Jamie the drawing notebook she always kept on her bag.

'Aye, ye did.' Jamie said, browsing for pictures of, he thought, her friends in London and imaginative pictures of a blue hairless cat saying 'Lying' and a couple with a baby where he had horns like a ram and she had wings like a butterfly until he got to a drawing of Claire (God, wasn't she still the most gorgeous woman on Earth). 'Is that yer mam?

'Yes, I made it few months ago..'

'Ye havena told me yet what she told ye when ye told her ye were comin''

'Because I didn't tell her I was coming to meet you.' Brianna said guiltily.

'Ye what?' Jamie growled 'That's no good sport a nighean.'

'Mama and I are passing for a bad phase.' She tried to explain, 'I told you she never even speak about you to me. So when I found you and she told me she was going to a medical convention abroad, I seized my opportunity and I came here, wondering if you'd accept me to live with you. I left her a note.'

'Brianna Ellen, ye're sixteen!! Ye canna just left yer house just leaving behind a note.'

'Yes, I suppose that seen like that...'

'Ye're calling her now.' Jamie ordered in the same tone he used to use for tell Willie to tidy up his stuff.

'She might be working, and I don't even know how to explain this.' Jamie noticed her fear and took her phone from her.

'Dinna fash, I'll talk with her.' He tried a couple of times before give it back to Brianna, 'She's no answerin' , let's try later. Ye're staying for lunch, let me go to make something else for ye.'

'Wait!' Brianna said, remembering those three chairs. 'What your wife is going to say when she sees me?'

'My wife?' He asked.

'Willie's mother.' Brianna answered, 'I mean, if it's been a shock for you, imagine for her.'

'I'm no married, Willie's mam died on childbirth, we live with Murtagh, my godfather and partner at the bar. And aye, he'll be as shocked as I when he meets ye.'

As a cue, wee Willie came into the sitting room, stuffed dog on toll.

'Da, I'm hungry.' Willie said, 'and Mr. Snuffles is too.'

'Just a wee longer a bhalaich.' Said Jamie going to him, 'We still have to wait for Murtagh. In the meantime, let me introduce ye to Bree.'

'Are ye my new mummy?' Willie asked Brianna

'Willie, what I told ye about that?' Jamie said, 'Sorry, he's the only lad at his class who doesn't have a mam and he's being fussy about it.'

'Because isna fair, why Graham can have two mams and I canna have one.' Willie replicated.

'Well, I'm not your mama, I'm your sister.' Brianna told him, 'your elder sister.'

'I dinna want a sister, Danny's sister hits and mocks him, mams are better.'

'Well, I promise never to hit of mock you.' Brianna said giving him her hand for a shake, 'deal?'

'I s'ppose so.' Willie said returning the shake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Murtagh
> 
> And dinna fash for Wee Willie, he'll have a new mam by the end of it.


	4. Chapter 4

Murtagh walked into the pub, hands full of Tesco bags, driving himself around the customers on his way to the bar, where Fergus and Rabbie were laughing at something.

'Keep this here meanwhile I'm leavin' this stuff to Angus and Rupert on the kitchen.' Said Murtagh leaving half of his load on the side of the bar. 'Jamie must be waitin' for me for lunch and take care of Willie.'

'Peut-etre pas.' Said Fergus, making Rabbie start laughing again. 'Maybe not.'

'What are ye two all about?' Murtagh asked to them

'Someone came asking for Jamie, a lass.' Rabbie answered 'And I'd say she looked really...'

'Fraiche.' Fergus added.

Murtagh made a noise and directed himself to the upstairs access, speeding his pace at hear a feminine laugh coming out from the flat.

'So, ye have a mam.' Willie asked to Bree.

'Yes, I have a mam, her name is Claire.' Bree answered Willie

'Do ye think she'd want to be my mam too.'

'Well, I don't know, you'll have to ask her for yourself.'

Jamie, cooking at kitchen, laughed at their conversation, his heart beaming with pride of how naturally his daughter and his son were bonding, so much on his own he was, that he didn't noticed for few seconds when Murtagh entered the kitchen.

'Murtagh, ye arena goin' to believe this.'

'What in the name of bloody sanity are ye doing, ye moron?' Murtagh growled at him 'And with Willie here, have ye not any brains on yer heid?

'What the hell are ye talkin' about?' Jamie asked him back, totally lost in why Murtagh was so furious.

'Geneva had a pass, she was young, but well over eighteen, but that lass there clearly isna.' Jamie finally understood what Murtagh thought Bree was doing there...

'For Christ's sake Murtagh, it isna what ye're thinking!' Jamie growled back

'Is that what ye're telling her sire when he comes here for explanations?'

'I am her sire!!'

'It isna funny lad' 

'It isna a joke Murtagh. Do ye remember Claire? My girlfriend at St. Anne's? Before she left, she and I...well, ye ken how bairns are made. Bree, the lass, just appeared today at the door, askin' for me.

'How can ye be so sure she's yer kin, it was a long time ago'

'Have ye seen her? She just looks like my mam. Ye kent her at that age' Jamie took Murtagh to the kitchen door, to see Bree still sitting at the sofa with Willie but looking at their conversation. Murtagh gasped, he couldn't deny she was a Fraser, it felt like if a young Ellen Mckenzie had traveled in time and was just waiting for them to come out when she smiled timidly to them.

'She really is yer lass.' Murtagh said Jamie 'She's a Fraser from head to toe.'

'And ye dinna ken the whole story.' Jamie responded to him gesturing Bree to come to them 'Bree, this Murtagh, my godfather. Murtagh, Brianna Ellen'

'Pleased to meet you, Murtagh' Said Bree, launching herself to kiss his cheeks. 'You can call me Bree.'

'Sorry for my reaction lass' Murtagh said to her, 'the lads downstairs made me think the worst.'

'Remind me I must ha a couple of words with them.' Jamie said.

The little moment of family bliss was broken by the sound of Bree's phone.

'Mama...'Bree said after taking the phone from her jacket's pocket.

'Dinna fash, I told ye I'll be talking with her.' Jamie said taking the phone from Bree's hand

'Bree, what's happening?' He could hear Claire saying at the other side 'You didn't answer my calls yesterday and now I have three lost calls from you. Is it everything OK?

Jamie cleared his voice and took a deep breath before answering the phone.

'Claire, 'tis me, Jamie.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Claire


	5. Chapter 5

'Guten Abend'

Claire walked through the packed hall of the fancy Berlin hotel she was staying in, rummaging her bag in search of her phone. She was a bit worried, Brianna hadn't answered her past nights calls and she wanted to check again her daughter was well, her heart starting to beat faster at see several lost calls from Brianna made just with minutes from each other.

'Bree, what's happening?' He could hear Claire saying at the other side 'You didn't answer my calls yesterday and now I have three lost calls from you. Is it everything OK?' 

Few seconds passed before a voice from the past came from the other side of the line.

'Claire, 'tis me, Jamie.'

She stopped in the middle of the busy room, feeling breathless, 'Ja...Jamie?' 

'How are ye?' 

Claire felt herself like in a hazy dream, she would have really think of it a dream, wasn't it for a bell boy hitting her with a carriage trolley. She somehow managed to sit on one of the reception sofas before she was able to find something to say.

'How...how did you get this number?' She asked, after checking once, twice, three times it was Brianna's phone number.

'Bree gave me to me.' Jamie answered 'She's here with me on Glasgow.'

'She where?!!' She shouted to the phone, loud enough for make an old couple sitting nearby look at her worryingly.

'Oh, aye, she's here.' Jamie said 'She wanted to meet me and come all her way up from London.'

'Sorry, I didn't...she wasn't...she didn't...' Claire babble, thinking in how long it'd take for her pack up and get to Glasgow.

'I ken that, Bree told me.' Jamie told her 'That's why we called you, for let you know she's here.'

'I'll be there as soon as I can.'

'Dinna fash Sa...Claire.' Tears sprang from Claire's eyes, she knew what he had been about to call her 'Sassenach', the old love name he had called her during their relationship all those years ago. 'I ken ye got work to do. She can stay here as long as 'tis needed, she's my daughter after all, this is her place. Do ye want talk with her?'

'Yes, of course.' Said Claire, after few moments to try to recover her composure.

'See ye soon, Claire.'

'See you soon Jamie.'

'I'm so sorry, Mama, I...' Bree's voice coming out this time 

'I'm not angry, I'm just... I don't think we should talk about this on the phone, we can wait until I go to Glasgow. Are you OK?'

'Yes, Jamie, and Murtagh, and Willie are all so nice, better I had thought.'

'Glad to hear that. I'll try to be there as soon as I can. Love you Bree.'

'See you soon, love you too.'


	6. Chapter 6

Glasgow

'Well, 'tis decided, ye're stayin' here for a bit.' Jamie said to Brianna before turn to Murtagh 'I hope you dinna mind to sleep on the sofa-bed for a couple of nights.' Murtagh made a growling noise but didn't complain about the arrangement, 'Where are the rest of yon things, I dinna think ye came to stay just with that wee bag.'

'I'm staying at a backpackers hostel in the city centre.' Bree confessed.

'What kind of place lets a sixteen years-old stay alone.' Jamie complained 'We're goin' after lunch, Fergus wouldna mind stay a wee longer on the pub.'

 

Berlin

'L.J. are you OK?' Joe's hand brought her back to reality 'You look pale as shit.'

'I'm OK Joe, I just got an unexpected call.' Claire told Joe.

'Is Bree OK? Any problems at home?'

'No, it's just...would you be up for a drink on the hotel bar?'

'You don't have to ask twice.

 

Glasgow

Jamie and Brianna were stuck on a traffic jam on their back home after their visit to the hostel to retrieve Bree's bag, Jamie being irritated by the way the hostel receptionist (smelling faintly to weed) had look at him paying for Bree's stay (Why everyone was thinking the worst today? Couldna he see that she was clearly his own kin?).

'Jamie.' Bree told him.

'Da, call me Da.' Jamie told Bree 'Where have ye seen a lass calling her father by his christian name, a nighean?'

'What does that mean, Da?' 

''Tis Gaelic, my parents loved the old Scottish traditions and were sure we learn the language of our forefathers.'

'Would you teach me? If you don't mind.'

'It'll be a pleasure, a leannan.' Said Jamie with a warm smile.

'Can I ask you something personal?'

'Aye, of course ye can, what is it?'

'Did you love Mama? Or it was just a horny moment between the both of you.'

'Och, of course I loved yon mam, with all my heart. I really thought she was goin' to be the one.' Jamie told Bree,

'So, what happened between you two?'

'You must ken how yon mam's parents died.'

'The car accident in India, I've heard about it.'

'Yon uncle came to the school for yon mam, to tell her and take her with him for the preparations and the funeral. He had made this deal with Father Anselm, the school's headmaster back then, he didna want yon mam to be alone in the school, so, she'd go with him for a while and the she could go back to the school at the beginnin' of the next term. She promised me to keep in contact with me, but she never did.'

 

Berlin

'So, he's Bree's daddy.' Joe said. cradling a galss of whiskey on his hands.

'Yes, he is.' Claire answered, drinking her glass in just one long sip.

'And you never told Bree about him.'

'Yes.' 

'But now she's with him in Scotland.'

'Yes.' She made a gesture to the waiter to get her glass refilled.

'So...'

'So, what?'

'I'm curious about both how you lost contact with your daughter's father and what are you going to do now.'

'That's a really long story.' Claire said downing her second glass.

'I've got time, L.J.'

'We were young and madly in love. We were dating, of whatever kind of dating you can have at a boarding school managed by French monks. On weekends we went to his family's state on the Highlands, it was there where, you know, it happened. Then is when my parents had the accident in India, Uncle Lamb came to school with the news. He told me we're going to India to get my parents back and bury them in England and then he and the headmaster had thought it would be the best for me to stay with him in London for a while and coming back to school in the next term. We went to India, but the paperwork started to get more and more delayed and I started to get more and more sick until I ended up on the hospital and...'

'You weren't sick, you were pregnant.' Joe finished for her.

'I got something in common with royalty, you know'

'Didn't you try to get in contact with him?'

'I did, phone was difficult with the school restrictions and the time zones, so I wrote him, at his house, for weeks and weeks without any answer from him. When we finally came back to England, Uncle Lamb wanted to go and confront him and his father, but I stopped him. I didn't want the conversation to be between Uncle Lamb and Jamie's father, it was between him and me, and when time passed, I just assumed that he didn't want to. But today he looked so accepting to her...'

'Well, he may not have wanted a baby at 17 but he wants to have a daughter at 34.'

'Joe, I hope you understand this and are able to do the presentation on your own but...'

'It's OK, L.J. I got it, you have to go. Family first. Say hi to Bree for me.'

'Thank you Joe.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the meeting

She wouldn't have made it without Uncle Lamb, she thought as she prepared herself for bed, thanking on how the old proud bachelor have not only accepted to care of her, but also Brianna at the lowest point of her life. He had supported her in her decisions about keep the baby, her studies and had been the best father figure to Brianna anyone could have asked for.

She couldn't find any direct flights between Berlin and Glasgow, so she had to fly to London, pass the night at her house and take a train to Glasgow the next day. It was, on her memory, the first and only night she had ever passed alone on the old Edwardian house Uncle Lamb and her father also grew up, and old the memories and ghosts of the past seemed to be haunting her, from the moment she stepped into the house to find Bree's note on the hall's table- 'I found my father and I'm going to stay with him. I love you but we need space for each other. Bree.'- to find in her room the box with her old stuff from her school time. She took the box to her own room to browse around its contents, even knowing that it was going to break her heart.

She woke up early, even knowing that her train wouldn't depart for hours still, but unable to stay on the silent house for longer, walking her way to the station to the labyrinthine streets around King's Cross station. She sit to wait at the station, reading a book from a nearby shop, trying both not look so many times to the trains schedule and thinking about Jamie- What she was going to say to him? How she was going to ask the question it had been at the bottom of her head for so long? And what was going to be his answer? How he could possibly explain himself after all?.

She wanted it or not, those questions looped on her head, louder and louder as the train approached to Glasgow Central station, practically yelling into her head as she walked the station looking for Jamie. But he wasn't him who had come to pick up her, it was his godfather, Murtagh.

'Murtagh, how are you?' She told him as he took her luggage and drove her to the parking. 'I wasn't expecting you.'

'I'm good lass.' He told her 'Jamie had to take his lad to the doctor and asked me to come for you.'

'He's got a son? Is he married?' Claire asked, first feeling the worry of how Jamie's wife had taken Brianna's sudden appearance, feeling a pinch of sadness at the though of Jamie being on a happy relationship while she had passed the most of the time alone, and finally regret for thinking like that, they haven't been a couple from almost two decades, he was free of do whatever he wanted.

'He isna, the lad's mam died when was a wean, they live with me on top of the pub.'

The car trip occurred in silence, the old man not even looking at Claire, weird she thought, he had always been nice with her on the past, so she entertain herself trying to figure out how Glasgow had changed since the last time she had been there. Once at the house, he took again her luggage they way up to the first floor flat.

'I hope ye dinna care share a bed with Bree.' Murtagh told her, showing her the way to it. 'The flat upstairs is still under renovations, so we have to be all cramped here.'

'It's OK Murtagh.' Claire told him 'I think I'm still remembering the way to the toilet.'

As she came out, she could hear the rattle of the door, a small figure running towards Murtagh followed up by Jamie and Bree. 

'I didna cry Murtagh, it hurt, but I did just as ye told me and I thought in something else.' The little boy excitedly explain to Murtagh.

'That's my braw lad.' Murtagh told the little boy, whose eyes grew bigger as Murtagh produced a Kinder egg and some small change to give to the boy. 'A braw lad deserves a good reward.'

'And who are ye?' the boy asked after noticed her.

'This is my mother, Claire.' Bree introduced them. 'Mama, this is Willie.'

'Can ye be my mam too?' The boy asked to her.

'Willie! Sorry, Claire.' Jamie finally spoke to her, each one unaware of how fast the other's heart was racing.

'Da, Bree told me I could ask her if she wants to be my mam too.' Said Willie, breaking the awkwardness of the moment.

'It's a really good offer, Willie, I promise you I'll think on it.' She crouched at Willie's height and ruffling his hair.

'How are ye?' Jamie asked her, not sure how to act- hug her, kiss her cheeks, shake her hands like if they were just old school mates finding each other after a long time.

'I'm OK, Jamie, and you?' 

'I'm good too Claire.'

The rest of the evening passed mostly in silence, only broken by Willie's comments and questions, both Jamie and Claire waiting for a moment they could be alone long enough to resolve all the questions which run through their heads. That moment finally arrived late at night, as Claire stood silently at the balcony, enjoying the cool air of Scotland's summer nights, Jamie came in, closing the door behind him.

'Claire, I think we should talk.' He told her gravely.

'Me too.' Was her only answer.

'Da!!! I want a story.' Willie once again breaking the tension as he suddenly opened the balcony door.

'Murtagh will tell ye a story tonight a bhalaich.' He told the boy, hugging his favorite stuffed dog on his chest. 'And ye ken he's better at make voices than me.'

'Da, Mr. Snuffles told me he likes Claire and he wants her to stay here with us.' Willie told them, making both of them laugh.

'I like her too, let's see what we can do.' Jamie kissed his son's head. 'Now go to bed.'

'Goodnight Da. Goodnight Claire.'

'Good night Willie, and goodnight Mr. Snuffles.' Claire told the little boy as he went back into the flat.

Jamie closed the door again and walked closer, Claire took a couple of deep breaths, searching for the bravery to ask the question she had been asking herself for seventeen years, when Jamie talked first.

'I canna believe ye never told me about the lass.'

'What?!! I...I...I wrote to you, for weeks, to Lallybroch, and YOU never answered me.' Claire spoke as rage filled her veins.

'I didna receive a thing.'

'But I swear to God I did it, you had to receive them.'

'I believe ye, Claire, but believe me I didna got any letters from ye. I wish I had.' She believed him, even after all those years, she could see it his face, in his voice, in the way he had accepted Bree like if he had seen her grow up since the beginning.

'Maybe...maybe your father took them.' Claire started to say, trying to find an explanation. 'He had a lot of expectations for you, maybe he thought that a baby at seventeen would be a burden for you...'

'No, he wouldna.' Jamie tried to reassure her. 'Thrash my arse for no be careful, for sure, but then he would have put us on the first train down to London to be sure ye and the bairn were well taken care of.'

'I just don't understand.'

'Dinna fash, lass. The past is past, ye and Bree are OK and I met her. You ken what they said, better late than ever.'

'I suppose so.' 

'I wanted to ask ye another thing.' 

'No, I'm not keeping more children from you.' He laughed at it, making her laugh at him back.

'No, ye'll see. I'm goin' to Lallybroch for few weeks, Jenny is expectin' twins by the end of summer and I'm goin' to help a bit with the state and let Willie run with his cousins. I was thinkin', if ye'd let Bree to come with me. I want her to meet Jenny, Ian, the children and to see Lallybroch.'

'I had few weeks off, I had thought to take Bree on a driving trip through France and maybe Italy. Maybe she's told you we had been passing for a hard time and I thought some fresh air out of London would make us good. But yes, she'd love go to Lallybroch, just ask her.'

'Come with us then too.' He said to her 'Up to my knowledge, the Highlands air is better than that of France and Italy. 'It'll do the job better.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Snuffles ships it. Willie too. And you can bet he's going to to go full The Parents Trap with Jamie and Claire at Lallybroch.


	8. Chapter 8

Few days later

'Why ye're not coming with us Murtagh?' Wee Willie asked his godfather as he took the bags downstairs.

'I'll be goin' later this week, Willie. There's a new lad in kitchen I have to protect from Angus and Rupert first.'

'But I'll miss ye.' Willie answered Murtagh.

'Nae, ye'll be too busy playin' around with wee Jamie to do that.' Murtagh told the boy.

'Is it everything on the car?' Jamie asked as he came out the building with Claire and Bree.

'I think so, but if somethin' missing, I'll take it with me.' Murtagh answered him.

'Can Claire sit here at the back with me?' Willie asked as Jamie buckled him to his booster sit.

'I suppose I can.' Claire told him, changing positions with Bree, so she could seat at the back.

'Say goodbye to Murtagh, a bhalaich.' Jamie said as he started the car. 'See you in few days Murtagh.'

'Have fun on Lallybroch.' Murtagh said to them as he waved the car.

'Lallybroch is verra fun.' Willie told Claire soon after they left Glasgow 'There's horses, and sheeps, and coos and sometimes deer...'

'I know that, I've already been there.' Claire answered him.

'Have you?' Bree asked from the front seat, Claire's eyes finding Jamie's on the mirror, as it had been on Lallybroch, under an old oak tree, where they most surely have conceived her.

'When we were at school,' Claire started to explain, 'on Fridays Murtagh came to pick up Jamie and me and we went to Lallybroch for the weekend.'

'I never kent how she conviced yer grandsire of send her the permit to go out with a boy from the school.' Jamie said.

'I sent them a photo of Jenny and I, and I told them she was you.' Claire answered Jamie. 'So, they thought I was going to pass the weekends with a girl instead of a boy.'

'Mama, you're a schemer.' Bree said laughing. 

'What's a schemer?' Willie asked, curious about this new word.

'It means you're good making plans.' Jamie told his son.

'Can we talk about horses now?' Willie asked again 'I want Claire to ken about Gingerbread.'

'Who's Gingerbread?' Claire said, her attention back to the little boy.

''Tis a horse in Lallybroch. She's havin' a baby horse...'

'A foal, 'tis called a foal.' Jamie said from the driving seat.

'She's havin' a baby horse and Da has promised me it will be only mine and when we're grown up he's teachin' me how to ride in it.' Willie said proudly 'I've been on horses yet, but always with Da, he says I'm still wee for riding alone.'

'And ye are.' Jamie said to him 'This will be Bree's time for learnin'.'

'Wait, you want to teach me how to ride a horse?' Bree asked Jamie. 'I'd love that.'

'Ye're a Fraser, Frasers have to know how to proper ride a horse.' Jamie told her, proud grin on his face.

'You're lucky, ' Claire said, 'Your father the best teacher you can have. I'm telling you from my own experience.' Claire was still incredulous of the words 'your father' coming out from her to Bree, even after few days living with Jamie. 

'I never knew you know how to ride a horse, Mama.' Bree told Claire, also surprised of everything she was learning about her parents.

'I haven't done it since before you were born, but yes, he taught me how to ride at the time.' Claire answered.

'Well, ' Jamie said, 'never to late to start again, Claire.'

'I suppose not.' Was Claire's answer to Jamie.

Half way through their journey, they stopped for lunch at a McDonald's on a service are just outside Perth. Claire, Bree and Willie went to find a table where they could sit while Jamie went to the ordering queue, a voice calling for him a minute later.

'I couldna believe my eyes when I saw Jamie Fraser coming into the place.' It was Mrs, Fitz, his uncles' old secretary 'How are ye lad? I havena seen ye since Hamish's christenin'. Dear lord, ye got the Mackenzie's height genes.'

'Glad to see ye too Mrs. Fitz.' Jamie crouched as to let her kiss effusively his cheeks. 'What are ye doin' here?'

'I'm goin' to the loch with my eldest and his family on holiday. And ye?'

'On holiday with the family too, to Lallybroch.' Jamie said pointing at the table were Claire, Bree and Willie were sit.

'Oh, what a beautiful family ye have, I love how the lass is just like ye and the lad is just like his mam.' Jamie wanted for a second to correct Mrs. Fitz about Claire not being Willie's mam, but when he looked at her, talking with the wee lad about something on his colouring book, their brown curls almost identical in colour, he couldn't help himself of fantasize, at least for a minute, that they were a proper family. 'Ye must be older that I thought ye were, yon lass is almost a woman.'

'Och, no, we...we were fairly young when she was born, ye ken Mrs. Fitz.' Jamie told Mrs. Fitz

'Aye, I see, it happened the same with my husband and our eldest.' Mrs. Fitz said 'Well, I leave ye, 'tis almost yer turn. Say hi to yer family for me.'

'Have a nice trip Mrs. Fitz.'

Little over an hour after lunch, the car took up the main road to Lallybroch, the tall tower which gave it its name appearing solidly on the distance.

'It's beautiful, Da.' Bree said to Jamie.

'Glad to hear that.' Jamie said to her 'Tis yer home too. And wait until Jenny sees ye, one look and she'll ken who ye are.'

'God, it has barely changed.' Claire said.

'We just added a wifi line few years back to manage the orders, but in the core, always the same.' Jamie said parking the car at the entrance of the big house.

It was a minute or two after they got out the car and started getting the bags out of the trunk when the family began to come out the house to greet them. First, Jamie's eldest nephew and namesake, a red RC Ferrari on the hands to proudly show to his cousin, followed by Ian and his two daughters and finally Jenny, moving as fast as her twins bump let her to hug her brother.

'Jamie, ye're earlier that we thought.'

'How the weans are goin', Jen.' Jamie said to his sister 'I hope ye dinna mind I brought some extra guests.'

'Jamie! Ye should have told me earlier, now I have to tell Mrs. Cook to prepare two more rooms out of the blue.' Claire laughed at her, still as feisty as she remember her.

'We're sorry for that, Jenny, it was a bit in a hurry.' Claire said to Jenny.

'Oh God, Claire, is that really ye?' Jenny went quickly to hug her 'I havena ken anything from ye for ages. How are ye?'

'I'm fine, Jenny, glad to see you too after this long.' Claire said before turn to Bree. 'Let me introduce to my daughter, Brianna.'

'What have you two done?' Jenny quickly said to both Jamie and Claire.

'What I told ye, lass? One look.' Jamie told to Bree.

'She's Mam's spit, did ye really think I wasna goin' to see it?' Jenny answered to her brother 'But how...?'

''Tis a long story Jen, I have only ken myself for a week.' Jamie said.

'We'll tell you the whole story when we find a moment.' Claire said to her.

'Ye better will.' Said Jenny before going to give a massive hug to Bree 'Come here a leannan, welcome to yer home.'


	9. Chapter 9

'It's horrible,' Jenny said once they told her about the missing letters, 'I canna imagine someone doing something like that to ye.'

'Jenny, ye're not ken if someone stole the letters.' Jamie answered her. 'They could have gotten lost

'One, possibly brother,' Jenny said to him, 'nine months worth of them? No, someone had to take them. How someone could be so cold-hearted? You didna ken, Claire, how devastated he was when he was waiting for ye to contact him. Weekends where he barely came out of the window besides the door.'

'Jenny, please' Jamie begged his sister.

'I was devastated too,' Claire said, looking timidly to Jamie, 'and I was the one pregnant.'

'I think we should leave it here,' Jamie said, itching for get out of the studio, 'we still need to unpack.'

'Yes, of course,' said Jenny, 'Mrs. Cook should have finished with the rooms now.'

Jamie and Claire walked out the room, Wee Willie was waiting for them on the outside, rapidly taking both by their hands.

'Let's go to see Gingerbread.' Willie said to them.

'Claire would go with ye,' Said Jamie, willing of say somethings to his sister privately.

'No, ye're comin' with us Da.' Willie said, taking his father's hand again and pulling Jamie with him.

'I suppose it can wait.' Jamie said.

The horses stable hadn't change since the last time Claire had seen it, even the door still cringing when you opened it. Several horses were prepared for the night by the state's employees, all of whom greeting familiarly to them on passing, in one of the last stalls there was the promised Gingerbread, a beautiful light brown mare eating peacefully when Willie run to her. 

'Be careful,' Jamie said to the boy, 'I told ye not to disturb a horse while it's eatin', it might bite ye.'

'Look at her, Claire, she's bonny, isna she?' Willie asked Claire.

'She really is, Willie.' Claire responded Willie.

'I like her colour, but I want the baby to be black like Donas.' Willie told Claire. 'Donas is the Da, ye ken.'

'Donas? How long a horse lives, I remember Donas from when I came here in the past.' Claire asked Jamie.

''Tis Donas II, his son, we're keepin' the name as tradition.' Jamie explained.

'If 'tis black and a boy, I'm namin' him Donas III.' Willie proudly said.

They left for the big house few minutes later, Gingerbread needing some rest, Jamie explained to Willie. Bree, Ian and another employee had taken care of the unpacking and dinner was already waiting for them at the big dinning room. The dinner passed as peacefully as a dinner with four kids under the age of six could go and then, at dessert time, an employee came with the news of several of the sheep running away their barn. Jamie and Ian excused themselves and went with him to find the evicted animals.

It was past midnight when Jamie and Ian finally came back to the house. Ian, tired of being on his prosthetic leg for too long, quickly leaving for his own room, as Jamie promised check on the children on his way to his bed. Maggie and Kitty were peacefully sleeping on their cots and when he went to check on Young Jamie and Willie, he was surprised by Claire sitting beside his son's bed.

'What are ye doin' here?' Jamie asked.

'Willie came to me complaining his stomach ached.' Claire said, while caressing the brow of the sleepy child.

'Is he OK? Anything grave?' Jamie asked worryingly.

'No, I think he just eat too much cake at dinner.' Claire answered him, 'I gave him some tea and brought him to bed. He'll be fine on the morning.'

'How did ye convinced him to drink somethin' like tea?' Jamie said to her, sitting at the bottom of Willie's bed. 'I canna make him drink medicines for my dear life.'

'I promised I'll stay with him until you came back.' Claire answered.

'So, ye're still interested in botanic stuff.' Jamie said with a smile. 'I still remember that the first time I had the balls of talkin' to ye, ye were nose deep on a book about medicinal herbs at the school's library.'

'Yes, I am.' Claire said. Willie rustled on bed, his beloved stuffed dog falling down the bed. Claire quickly putting back on the boy's side and rearranging the sheets, so the boy didn't get cold. 'He loves that dog, isn't he?'

'Aye, Mr. Snuffles.' Jamie said ''Twas his first Christmas present. Murtagh made an hour long queue at a build-a-bear for get it.'

'For Bree was a rabbit, Snowy.' Claire remembered 'Uncle Lamb brought it to the hospital when she was born. I'll send you some photos of them when we're back at London.' Jamie's stomach knotted at the mention of London. As much as he had enjoyed the idea of them being a family at the McDonald's that evening, they weren't. Once the summer was over, Claire and Bree would come back to their lives in London and him and Willie to theirs in Glasgow. 

'I would love that, I want to see how she looked as a wee lassie.' Jamie said, with the best smile he could find.

'It's late, we should go to bed.' Claire said, getting up of the chair, helped by Jamie. 

'Aye, we should.' Jamie said walking beside her out of the children room.

'Goodnight Jamie.' Claire said kissing him lightly on the cheek and walking to her room at the other side of the corridor.

'Goodnight Claire.' Jamie answered.

Little they knew they would pass the night sleepless, thinking in each other.


	10. Chapter 10

The first days at Lallybroch passed on a fairly routine. The whole family, including Claire and Brianna, would take breakfast together, after Claire would help Jenny with the little girls while Jamie went with Ian to work somewhere on the state or with Bree, Willie and Young Jamie to ride or see the horses. Claire would then take a walk around the state, alone with her thoughts and feelings.

Claire passed for the paddock where Jamie was giving Bree a riding lesson, it warmed her heart see them becoming so close. Would this have been her life if at least one of the letters had made its way to Lallybroch? Summers on Lallybroch seeing Bree growing up surrounded by her parents and her aunt, uncle and cousins? Would Jamie and her have made it work? A relationship, a baby, studies and work being barely adults? Who knows...

Claire continue walking for a long time while those thoughts driving her mind so deeply that she was scared when she heard some movement coming from some bushes around.

'Dinna fash lass, 'tis only me' Jamie told her, leaves coming out his curls.

'What are you doing here?' Claire asked, 'I thought you were riding with Bree.'

'Willie and wee Jamie came to me saying that there was a wolf on the woods.'

'A wolf?'

'A big dog, most probably, escaped from some tennant's house.' Jamie explained, dusting the leaves and dirt out of him, 'I was trying to see if I could find it and return it its owner. What were ye doin' here?'

'Just walking, and thinking.' She answered.

'Fancy if I join ye for a bit, just in case I can see that dog.' Jamie smiled at her and Claire felt as if she was 17 again.

'I suppose that four eyes would see better than two.'

They walked together on silence for few minutes, not touching, but smiling when they crossed looks in the search of the mysterious dog who had scared Willie and Young Jamie.

'Penny for yer thoughts.' Jamie broke the silence, Claire chuckled at him.

'I was thinking if this would have been our life if you had received my letters, here at Lallybroch with Bree, if we would have been able to make it work.'

'Och, we would, it would have been hard, but we would make it work.' Jamie said firmly.

'Do you mean it?'

'Aye, I mean it. We'd be married, that's for sure, my Da would never let a grandchild of his born out of a proper marriage. I kent how important was for ye to become a doctor, but I dinna think that Father Anselm would have let us goin' back to the school with a bairn, so, we could have gone to Glasgow, with Murtagh, he'd let us stay with him. And then I'd be workin' at the pub and takin' care of the lass meanwhile ye were studyin'.'

'But what about you, your studies.'

'I could have waited, I wasna even sure of what to do with my life at the time anyway, I would have loved just bein' around our home and see ye becomin' a famous surgeon.' Claire was using all her will to not cry as Jamie carried on. 'I had been the proudest man on yer graduation, and then after ye had finished yer studies and we began to earn good money, me at the pub, ye at the hospital, we'd look for a nice house, with a garden for Bree to play and for ye to have little plots for yer wee herbs, and maybe start to think on give Bree a wee brother or sister.'

'You've been thinking on it as much as I had, haven't you?'

'Since the moment Bree appeared on my door, if I might be honest.'

Claire wanted to say something, but she stopped when she recognised the path they were following, she had walked that path so many times back on her youth. The path lead to an old, big oak tree where Jamie had carved their initials before lost their virginity to each other and conceive their daughter under its shade.

'Jamie...'

'I thought ye would like to see how the old tree is goin'.'


End file.
